Shloka 72
मातङ्ग–शक्रसंवादः
Mataṅga–Śakra Dialogue on Tapas, Status, and Moral Qualities
महापुण्यां च गगनात् पतन्तीं वै महेश्वर: । दधार शिरसा गड्जां तामेव दिवि सेवते,भगवान् महेश्वरने आकाशसे गिरती हुई परम पवित्र गंगाजीको सिरपर धारण किया, उन्हींका वे स्वर्गमें सेवन करते हैं
mahāpuṇyāṃ ca gaganāt patantīṃ vai maheśvaraḥ | dadhāra śirasā gaṅgāṃ tāmeva divi sevate ||
The supremely meritorious, most holy Gaṅgā, falling from the sky, was borne upon the head of Bhagavān Maheśvara. Even in heaven he reverently partakes of and honors that very Gaṅgā—showing the restraint and sanctifying power by which the divine upholds what is pure and beneficial to the worlds.
सिद्ध उवाच
Educational Q&A
Holiness is not merely possessed but responsibly upheld: Maheśvara restrains and bears the sacred Gaṅgā, modeling how power should protect purity and channel it for the welfare of the world; reverence (sevanā) toward what is sacred is itself a dharmic act.
A Siddha describes the heavenly Gaṅgā descending from the sky and Śiva receiving her upon his head, holding her there; he continues to honor and resort to that same Gaṅgā in heaven, highlighting her sanctity and Śiva’s role as her bearer.